The Central Committee and AIB work closely with the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe. The Secretary-General was honoured to be invited to attend their annual Convention (synod) and Festival of Gathering from 7-10 October 2026 in Wiesbaden, Germany.

In some respects it is an extended business meeting with discussions about finances and a vision for the future. All of this would be impossible without regular worship each day and times of fellowship. After the hard work of each day, many of the delegates could be found in the kegelbahn, which is a uniquely German version of bowling!

In between sessions and workshops, there were lots of opportunities for networking and small meetings that are better in person instead of online.

On Thursday night, Bishop Mark Edington gave out awards to several lay leaders who did excellent work across Europe. Some were recognised for their work with youth, or refugees, or helping to sustain the work of the Episcopal Church. The musical highlight of the event was the Theodicy Jazz Collective from Yale University who played at two of the worship services and an evening concert.